A Winning Team: Esri and the Master’s in Geographic Information Systems Technology Program at the University of Arizona

From the number one GIS education in the world to the number one GIS company in the world: leading the way in GIS, together.
With a successful inaugural Tucson Esri GeoDev HackerLab completed last week at the University of Arizona, and the Esri 2016 User’s Conference in San Diego right around the corner, we thought that it would be a perfect time to reflect on the awesome relationship that has been forged between world-renowned GIS software and solutions leader Esri, and the Master’s in GIS Technology Program at the U of A.
Esri isn’t just a GIS software provider: they are on the cutting edge of exploring and analyzing geospatial questions, and finding solutions for the array of spatially-driven problems that are out there. On the same token, the overarching goal for MS-GIST students is not just to “use” GIS programs effectively, but to incorporate all of the tools made available to help make a difference in the world one geospatial problem at a time. Our focus on professional education pushes students to addresses today’s real-world spatial issues.  Annually the MS-GIST program works with Esri to create a vibrant professional GIS community in the Southwestern United States.       
In the last 5 years Esri has hired 15 MS-GIST graduates to work for them. MS-GIST students hired by Esri have gone on to work in desktop, server, location analytics, federal contracts, and many other positions (see pictures and list of graduates below). Esri challenges us to innovate, explore, excite, and change the world in constructive ways, at the same time the MS-GIST program challenges higher education to embrace professional education focused on placement with business, government, and non-profits, and has one simple measure of success: placement of one gainfully employed graduate at a time.
 
 

Congratulations to all of our graduates who have gone on to work with Esri! We look forward to the future of the Esri-MSGIST connection, and helping to make an impact on the geospatial community, and the world.